26 June 2024
Construction of Woldingham’s fantastic new Sixth Form Centre and Library started in July 2023 and is progressing well.
June 2024 update
26/6/24 The external hard landscaping around the building is taking shape. Work has begun on the balustrading and external staircase to the balcony.
Internally, the mechanical and electrical second fix is ongoing with items like lights, sockets, toilets and handbasins being fixed. All walls have been mist coated and the final colours are being applied to the different rooms. The rooflight to the central circulation space on the first floor has been installed, which has transformed the space.
19/6/24 Groundworks around the building are progressing well and it’s good to see where the permanent paths and roadway will be.
Internally decoration work is on track with vinyl flooring being laid in key areas such as the WCs, café servery and cleaners’ cupboard. Carpentry work continues with the fitting of doors, skirtings, and architraves. Ceilings are also being installed along with roller shutters and walls cladding for the café servery.
May 2024 update
16/5/24 On site tours today, Year 10 students were given a glimpse of the exciting future that awaits them in the Sixth Form in this state-of-the-art facility, home to a silent-study area, a collaborative workspace, mini-lecture theatre and a café, as well as classrooms for our most popular A Level-only subjects - business, economics and psychology.
15/5/24 Externally, the scaffold is nearly down and external works around the building are about to begin. Sunninghill is also completing the pressure caps and flashings to the curtain walling on the front elevation. All windows and doors are installed and the flashings around the perimeter of the standing seam roof are nearing completion.
Internally, first fix mechanical and electrical installation is progressing well, as is plasterboarding and plastering to both floors. Sunninghill has started mist coating the walls and begun second fix carpentry works.
1/5/24 Sunhill has started to remove the perimeter scaffold, cleaning the brickwork as it is taken down. The perimeter flashings and trims to the standing seam roof are being installed and the access walkway to the main roof is nearing completion. Sunninghill has also completed the pressure caps and flashings to the curtain walling on the front elevation.
Internally, first fix mechanical and electrical installation is progressing well. Plasterboarding to the ground floor is complete and the first floor walls are being boarded. Plastering has started on the ground floor. Sunninghill has also started some carpentry boxings and walls inside the building.
April 2024 update
16/4/24 First floor windows and doors have been installed. The sloping standing seam roof is almost finished, with just the perimeter flashings and trims left to complete. The curtain walling to the front elevation is progressing well. Sunninghill has completed the plant enclosure on the flat roof. Internally, first fix mechanical and electrical installation is underway, as well as plasterboarding to the ground floor works.
March 2024 update
20/3/24 Brickwork around the perimeter of the new building is nearing completion and windows and doors to the ground floor have now been installed. Four ventilation units have been craned onto the roof, along with the mechanical plant to the flat roof. Internally, first fix mechanical and electrical installation is progressing well.
1/3/24 Brickwork around the perimeter of the building continues to progress well. Windows are being installed on the ground floor and the flat roof is now complete. Internally, the first fix of the mechanical and electrical installation is starting and the concrete soffits to both the silent study and café areas are being painted.
February 2024 update
22/2/24 For more insight into our fantastic new centre, click here to take a video trip ‘behind the hoarding’ with Mr Phil Abbott, Head of Sixth Form. You can also view the interior designs here.
16/2/24 The brickwork around the perimeter of the building is progressing well. The flat roof is nearing completion and Sunninghill has started the standing seam sloping roof. Internally, the underfloor heating to both the ground and first floors has been completed. The ground floor has had the screed laid and the process of screeding the first floor is underway. Work has started on the metal internal stud walls to the ground floor.
9/2/24 Bricklaying has started and will continue through to June. We chose Horsham brick for the new building, which, as the name suggests, comes from nearby Horsham in West Sussex meaning fewer miles to transport them to site. Other sustainable aspects of the new building include air source heat pumps, heat recovery systems, underfloor heating, insulated walls and glazing, LED lighting and a natural ventilation system. All important elements of our approach to environmental sustainability.
1/2/24 With improved weather over the last two weeks, Sunninghill has started laying bricks around the perimeter of the building and the flat roof coverings are progressing well. The Steel Framing System is now complete and as is the boarding to the perimeter walls. This week will see insulation and under floor heating works to the both the ground and first floors, which will be followed by screeding to the ground floor.
January 2024 update
26/1/24 Students in Year 11, the first cohort to have both their Lower and Upper Sixth years in the new Sixth Form Centre, enjoyed visiting the rapidly-changing construction site this week, leaving with a much better understanding of the new layout. The students also admired the fabulous views from the first floor library and collaborative workspace, which will be fitted with large glass windows. There have also been lunchtime visits by staff and a second tour for students on our Architecture and Construction Careers programme.
16/1/24 The steel frame is now completed, as is the structural decking which sits on top of the frame. The steel framing system and boarding to the perimeter walls is progressing well. The timber upstands have been formed on the flat roof to form the perimeter and rooflight and access hatch kerbs. Brickwork has been delayed due to the cold weather, but will start progressing once temperatures are above three degrees. The perimeter of the building has been stoned up in readiness for the scaffold.
5/1/24 During the Christmas holiday, Sunninghill, our contractor, removed the tower crane from site. The steel frame is now nearing completion and adding this to the completed concrete frame provides a real feeling as to the size and shape of the building. Over the next couple of weeks, Sunninghill will be starting the roof decking to the steel frame part of the building as well as installing timber upstands and mansafe posts to the flat roof.
December 2023 update
The concrete frame is now nearly complete. Leading up to Christmas, Sunninghill will start the sub-structure brickwork, instal pre-cast concrete stairs running from the ground to first floor, and erect the steel frame which sits at the front of the building.
Students in Year 11 and Lower Sixth enjoyed a first visit to the site, providing them with a new perspective of the Sixth Form Centre which will be their new base from autumn 2024. In a separate visit, students from Woldingham’s new Architecture and Construction Careers Programme were given a talk by one of the site managers and discussed many aspects of the building process including interior design, energy efficiency, and renewables – all useful for students considering a career in property and construction.
To view a timelapse video showing construction in progress, click here.
November 2023 update
Construction continues at pace despite the wet autumn weather. The structure of the new building started to emerge from above the hoarding.
At the end of November, work began on the second floor and services, including electricity and drainage, were installed.
Tours for students are being planned to go ‘behind the hoarding’ so they can see for themselves what’s in store for them next year.
Check back here for regular updates as work progresses. Photos are being added to the gallery below alongside visuals of the new Sixth Form Centre and Library, which will open in autumn 2024.
October 2023 update
All the foundation pilings are in place ready for the next stage of construction and it’s been good to see walls starting to be built.
Mr Abbott, Head of Sixth Form, talked about the exciting opportunities in store to Year 11 parents and students on A Level options evening on 11 October - they’ll be the first year group to become Lower Sixth students in the new Sixth Form Centre.
Sunninghill, Woldingham’s construction partner, used the opportunity of the October half-term to maintain the momentum of the project.
Summer 2023 update
Work commenced in the summer break with ground works to clear the site, formerly a car park and play area. The play area was relocated to the opposite side of the drive ahead of students return to school for the autumn term.
